President DiBiasio's Remarks on 9/11 Anniversary

To members of the ONU Community,

As you know, Sunday marks the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The editorial that was published inThe New York Times on September 12, 2001 said what everyone intuitively knew, “It was one of those moments in which history splits, and we define the world as “before” and “after.”

We all remember exactly where we were when we first learned about the horrible consequences of the plane crashes and the ensuing tragedy of death and destruction that marked the lives of those who were directly affected. I learned a few days later that a colleague from the University of New Hampshire where I had worked - Robert LeBlanc, professor emeritus of geography - was on board United Flight 175 that crashed into the World Trade Center.

With the tenth year anniversary of 9/11 approaching, we are reminded how those events challenged our nation, that our world is not yet at peace, and that hatred still divides people and nations. The tragedy also causes us to reflect on our own international community because we have students, faculty, and staff whose ethnic and religious backgrounds are from parts of the world identified with the tragic attacks. They, too, condemn terrorism, and we value them as an important part of the Ohio Northern University community. As we remember the fallen, we ask that God’s love and grace comfort their families and friends, and all of us as well.